The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may also be inventions.
In conventional database systems, users access their data resources in one logical database. A user of such a conventional system typically retrieves data from and stores data on the system using the user's own systems. A user system might remotely access one of a plurality of server systems that might in turn access the database system. Data retrieval from the system might include the issuance of a query from the user system to the database system. The database system might process the request for information received in the query and send to the user system information relevant to the request. The efficient retrieval of accurate information and subsequent delivery of this information to the user system has been and continues to be a goal of administrators of database systems.
In the past several years cloud computing has become a dominant means by which users communicate with a database server. Typically data communication between various users and the database server occurs over a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet. The database and other software applications are accessed from another web service, such as a web browser using web-pages. Multi-tenancy is a cloud computing architecture that enables sharing of resources and costs across a large pool of users. This facilitates centralization control and regulation of the services provided to users. This facilitates optimization of a user's computer experience while controlling the costs of providing the services to the user. As a result, a user of a multi-tenancy architecture typically only requires a means of displaying web pages in order to access the services provided by the database server.
One technology employed to generate web pages is HyperText Markup Language (HTML). HTML allows easily combining text, images, software objects and executable code while controlling the information that will be rendered on a computer display. To that end, HTML employs semantic elements to quickly define how information in a webpage is perceived. HTML encoding elements, commonly referred to as “tags”, surrounded by angle brackets within the web page content. Scripting languages, such as JavaScript™, facilitate providing spatial specific functionality control of a web page. To that end, scripting languages are employed to embed, within a webpage, peripheral device event handlers or event listeners. The event handlers are configured to respond to signals generated an input peripheral device is sensed by the computer system. One example of a computer input device that function synergistically with embedded event handlers is a computer mouse (mouse). A mouse typically controls the motion of a cursor with respect to a graphical user interface (GUI) rendered on a computer display. Control over two orthogonal axes is typically exercised and by placing the cursor in superimposition with different regions of the GUI different function may be achieved. Often, the mouse includes one or more switches, commonly referred to as buttons, that generate input signals. By superimposing the cursor over a region of a GUI having an event handler embedded therein, operation of the switch may achieve a desired function, e.g., opening a file folder rendered on the GUI.
Were the mouse to have a plurality of switches, each switch may be assigned a unique function. For example, one switch may select an item in the GUI and a second switch may commence an event associated with the item. Users can also employ gestures to initiate an event with respect to the GUI. For example, the mouse may be employed to move the cursor in a predetermined path over the GUI, commonly referred to as a “gesture”. Upon completion of the gesture embedded HTML in the GUI would interpret the initiation of an event causing a computer process to be carried-out.
Common events performed by a computer mouse include depressing a switch, releasing a switch; depressing a switch twice in succession; depressing a switch thrice in succession; depressing a switch while moving the cursor over the GUI, commonly referred to as a DRAG operation; and depressing a switch while depressing a modifier key on a keyboard. Were a rotary switch included in the mouse, any one of the above operations may be undertaken while activating the mouse wheel. It is desired, however, to increase the function of a computer mouse without increasing its mechanical complexity.